Few DJs stay closer to techno’s original radical blueprint than Akua. Although now based in Berlin, her sets still have that inimitable blend of minimalism, intensity and rawness that makes the work of artists like Jeff Mills and Underground Resistance so potent. 

She’s often spoken of wanting to educate younger audiences about the original spirit of techno, and that’s borne out in how she plays. Plenty of DJs play ‘fast’ and ‘hard’ these days, but the Ghanaian-American has long mastered the art of playing with velocity and a slow-burning, controlled ferocity. Her sets feel like they’re driving towards some unreachable destination, straining at the leash the whole time. It’s all proof that just because music is defined as ‘classic’ - most of her selections come from the 90s and early 2000s - doesn’t mean that it’s out of step with the present day. 

If you like your techno sets to feel like wormholes or vortexes, then come and experience one of the best pure, no-nonsense DJs around when she makes her Sónar debut this year.